Disney Princess Weddings

Well, as I've recently returned from EuroDisney (see my Holland blog for info on that), I've got princesses on the brain. I found this youtube video today that talks about (and shows) all the designer Disney Princess dresses they've made. I love the idea of having a wedding dress inspired by the princesses - but at some point, it does get a wee bit excessive...


Anyway, here is the video:

DIY Cupcake Stand

Hello cupcake lovers!

Who doesn't love cupcakes? I am especially enamored of their lovely, personal-sized nature. A cupcake tower full of cupcakes is an excellent solution for individual servings for the guests. The addition of an actual cake, small, made for the cake cutting ceremony itself, makes using cupcakes feasible, and understandable, without breaking away from too much tradition.

So, with that in mind, here is my "Under $25, Ultra-Awesome-Pretty-Glass" cupcake tower. I bought all the plates and glasses from my local thrift store.

Basically, here's what I needed to make this beauty:

1. 4 glass serving plates - ranging in size. I'd bet my biggest plate was about 18-20 inches across, and each plate was about four inches smaller around than the last one.
2. 3 glass cups, vases, or other round, sturdy glass objects, to place between the plates to give levels to the cupcake tower
3. E6000 glue (I bought mine on sale from Michaels for $1.99)
4. Glass beads, or other decorative beads, for hot gluing around the base of each glass, or just for decoration
5. A hot glue gun

Here's the deal with E6000 - it's not supposed to go near food, so I only used a little bit (you don't need that much, otherwise it will drip!) and then I placed glass beads around the base of the glasses (where the E6000 touches the plate below it) so that no food comes directly into contact with the glue, ever. Honestly, I don't know if this is the safest way to do it, I just wanted the tower to be extra sturdy. You could probably make the tower with a hot glue gun alone (honestly, my hot glue gun almost got stuck to the tower at one point, and it was a huge pain getting it off, showing that hot glue has a mighty grip on glass).

In any case, this is how I made the tower! I don't expect any problems.

First, get the plats and cups together, make sure everything fits on top of everything else and that you like the way it looks.

 

Now, for each layer you want to create, place a ring of E6000 on the plate, and a layer on the bottom (or top) of the glass you are attaching. You can use a wax pencil to gauge where the cup will go on the plate so you can put the glue in the right spot, or you can eyeball it, which I did, to...decent effect.

 

 

Lastly, after all the layers were put together, I used the hot glue gun to add colored glass around the base of each of the glasses, and to do a little decoration on some of the levels. 

Chair Covers, Sashes, and Linens

Well, I just read an interesting blog post about buying instead of renting the linens for the reception, and I have a few tips to put on here. First of all, who knew that there was such a website as wholesaleweddingchaircovers.com? Or that it might be cheaper to buy your tablecloths and napkins (the couple mentioned in the blog looked on Ebay and at the prices in the online stores to find the best deals) than to rent them?

 Here is the link to the wholesale chair covers website, and here is the link to a website that sells sashes, bows, and also some chair covers (the sashes being to jazz up the otherwise plain chair covers, one would assume).

I would like to say, however, that most people on the website said this, in so many words: "No one cares once the reception has started, what the chairs look like. Everyone is much more interested in the food, etc."

I suppose, if need be, and you feel really self conscious about it, get nice chairs for the wedding party table, and let everyone else just have whatever chairs are available. They'll mostly be looking at you anyway.

Some colorful choices

Well, I keep putting things on pinterest, and I get so into finding and putting up everything and anything I can find, I sometimes forget that I should put some on here, too!


So, with that in mind, I present some delightful color palettes, from theknot.com, for the general perusal and enjoyment of all.

1. Amber, Slate, and Dove (light gray)

      2. Cantaloupe, Honeydew, and Pistachio (theknot.com came up with these colors, not me, so they  have delightful and unusual names...)

I love this color selection, personally, and I love the idea of putting little lanterns on the backs of guest's chairs with ribbon.

        3. Gold and Light Blue

I'm not thrilled with the colors gold and light blue, but oh man, I am totally thrilled with that gorgeous tent and those cute light blue paper lanterns. WIN. 

        4. Gray and Sage

I love this color theme, too.

Here is an altar for the gray and sage-themed wedding.

       5. Orange, Cream and Steel

     6. Bronze, Forest Green, and Black

         7. Dusty Coral, Light Blue, and Cream

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Well, I had no idea that this tradition existed (Oooo, shame on the wedding blogger!), but, having read about it, I'm delighted to share the background of this tradition with you kind folks.

The tradition is based on an old English poem that goes like this:

Something old, something new,

Something borrowed, something blue,

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

The idea is that each thing the poem mentions should go with the bride on the day of her wedding, so that she can have good luck!

A little bit of description for each item:

• "Something Old"

I think a classic "Something Old," is a handkerchief from a past relative.

• This is supposed to be a link with your mother or your grandmother, and represents continuity (old to new, and suchnot). It could be a piece of jewelry, or a bit of lace from the dress - just something on your person that connects you to their heritage of love behind you. 

• "Something New"

From Liz Hutnick on Etsy. 

•  This is supposed to represent good luck and success to the new bride. Usually something simple, like the dress or the rings, this can also be something like the flowers - we have to be picked fresh, etc. 

•  "Something Borrowed"

 

• This has to come from a happily married woman, allowing the bride to carry some of her marital happiness into her new life.

• "Something Blue"

Often a garter, nowadays. Which is slightly ironic.

•  The color blue symbolizes faithfulness, purity and loyalty. Which means that my husband will be wearing something blue as well, seeing as I think husbands should be all of those things as well, right?! Blue nail polish or blue shoes are a cute touch as well.

• "Sixpence"
• Means wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom where the groom put a silver coin in his shoe for good luck. The sixpence should be in the left shoe.

This is from andasixpence.com. They have tons of really sweet designs for the cards.

Honeymoon in Maine

Um, this is an incredible house. It's a cottage in Pigeon Hill Bay, Steuben, Maine, and it is breathtakingly beautiful, complete with forests, hiking, and book nook.

I just love it so much I'm melting. And it's inexpensive. And it's in Maine. And lobster. And hiking. And mountains. Oooerr. I'll be leaving tomorrow, thank you veeery much.

Look! A book nook! For snuggling and book reading!

And it's on a lake! And they give you canoes and kayaks!

Reception Drinks, Part...Two. Also: Harry Potter.

We'll just call it two and be evensies.

Today, we bring you an interesting and wonderful list of drinks and wedding decorations from the Harry Potter series.

First of all, you have to be a different level of cool to have a Harry Potter wedding. Especially one that's not cheesy, but beautiful, like the one in these photos. Second of all, if you happen to be this cool, I'm not entirely sure you need to get married, because your marriage may be so awesome it causes things to spontaneously combust.

With this in mind, we take you through a visual tour of Harry Potter drinks, and Harry Potter wedding decorations, simply hoping that we can endeavor to reach the level of awesome that this couple has so exquisitely achieved. 


"The Avada Kedavra"

1 part Goldschläger
1 part Schnapps, sour apple pucker
1 part tequila, gold
1 part whiskey, scotch
1 splash lemon juice
2 dashes Tabasco sauce

"Mix all ingredients. Serve in a shot glass." 

 "The Gryffindor"

1 part Liqueur, raspberry (Chambord)
1 part cranberry juice
1 part orange juice
1 Maraschino cherry
1 twist (of peel) orange

"Mix juices and Chambord with ice, strain. Garnish with an orange twist wrapped around a cherry with a sword-pick through it. Serve in a hurricane glass."

"The Severus Snape (served in a test-tube shot glass, of course)"

1 part Schnapps, blackberry (Black Haus)
2 parts vodka, pepper

 "Combine ingredients in a shot tube."









 Now, onto the beautiful Harry Potter themed wedding, which I am taking from the delightfully geeky website themarysue.com.

Their Own Hogwart's Express. Where? How? I know not. Awesome? Definitely.

Extra Wands! And Very Quaintly Dressed Guests.

Everyone got their own personalized wand. And had been sorted into a house.

Each House had its own little placard.

A Hogsmeade-Esque Teeny Village.

Classy invitations with an owl embossed seal.

Clever knick-knacks and a scrumptious-looking cake!